Warfare Augmented Intelligent Frame Unit

Chapter 26 - Ostrich's Egg

Chapter 26 - Ostrich's Egg

[Examination Start]

The piercing whistle echoed, signaling the start of the Weaponry Basics Test. Myrrh, encased in her white-and-gold, colossal mech armor, stood poised in the starting zone, her figure gleaming under the stark lights of the simulation room. Around us, a sprawling metropolis materialized, its streets, skyscrapers, and overpasses casting long, shadowed lines, replicating the urban warfare environment she was about to navigate.

I glanced at the holographic minimap, a glowing grid pulsating with destination points, and set the first marker. "Go to the first position!"

With a surge, Myrrh ignited her boosters, the soft hum building into a roar as she rocketed forward. She angled expertly toward a squat building, its sign flashing "1st" in bright, neon letters. In one fluid motion, Myrrh vaulted over the building's edge, landing with a resonant clang that echoed through the simulated city streets. She pressed on, zeroing in on the dummy ahead.

"Laser Sword, equip!" I commanded, tapping the controls on the WEEB System. Beside Myrrh, a cybernetic ring flared into existence, swirling with bright blue energy. Without hesitation, she reached through, withdrawing the gleaming Laser Sword, its edge humming with power. In a swift, arcing slash, she cleaved the dummy cleanly in half, sparks flickering as it split and fell.

"Second position, go!" I called, my voice ringing across the comm.

Myrrh charged onward, sprinting toward the elevated highway where the next target awaited. She skidded to a halt within a red circle marked "2nd" as her scanners detected another dummy, hidden partially by the looming skyscrapers, positioned six hundred meters downrange.

"Beam Rifle, equip!" I commanded again, pressing firmly on the Bios control. Another cybernetic ring materialized at Myrrh's side, and in one fluid motion, she holstered the Laser Sword and drew the Beam Rifle. Steadying her aim, she lined up the shot with deadly precision, pulling the trigger. A searing green laser shot across the distance, striking the dummy squarely in the head, disintegrating it in an instant.

"Third position, on the east side!" I directed, my adrenaline spiking as she prepared to move.

Myrrh sprinted ahead, her mechanical limbs pounding against the pavement as she raced through the city simulation. Suddenly, a streak of color shot across her vision—paintballs hurtling toward her in quick succession. She twisted, narrowly evading the barrage, and ducked behind a low-rise building for cover, the splatter of paint from missed shots marking her path.

"Light Shield, equip!" I commanded, tapping the WEEB System.

A glowing cybernetic circle flared to life beside Myrrh, and with swift precision, she reached through, pulling out a diamond-shaped metal shield. She braced it in her left hand, its polished surface gleaming as she charged forward, the incoming paintballs splattering harmlessly against it in a shower of neon colors. With her Laser Sword at the ready in her other hand, she closed the distance and slashed downward, splitting the paintball-firing dummy in a single, fluid motion.

"Fourth position, through the ramp!" I directed, feeling the thrill of her momentum as she raced ahead.

Myrrh's gaze locked onto an upslope bridge—a sleek, metal ramp stretching up into the air. She broke into a sprint, mechanical joints and boosters combining to give her speed and stability as she powered up the incline. As she ascended, I tapped the controls again to queue up her next equipment.

"Jetpack, equip!" I called out, activating the command.

Another cybernetic circle shimmered into existence, this time behind her. A backpack with jet-like wings materialized onto her armor, the engines whirring to life. With a powerful roar, the jets activated, lifting her just as she reached the peak of the bridge. She soared upward, gaining height with each burst, ready to tackle whatever lay ahead in the test.